by Logan Everett (E-mail Me)

#9 - Another Development Journal

In my last editorial, I spoke about the latest developments on the Krazy Shapes 2000 game. It's possible that the game won't make it out by the end of the year, so I am considering changing the name to Krazy Shapes Gold or Deluxe or something along those lines. I'm still using the same software, with the exception of Adobe Photoshop, which I upgraded to version 5.5.

The current version of the game on my computer is 3.4 and will not be released until it reaches 4.0. The most major change from v3.1 is the addition of a new game type: "Action". The old game type, in which the pieces are arranged to create the most lines is now called "Puzzle". In Action mode new pieces are placed on the board every time you create a line. The goal is to create as many lines as possible in 3 minutes.

The interface has been altered to include a timer. In Action mode the timer counts down from 3:00 minutes. In Puzzle Mode the counter counts up infinitely from 0:00 minutes. There is also a score counter next to the timer. In Puzzle Mode the score counter stays at 0 until the player clicks the "Done" button, then changes to reflect the score. In Action Mode the score counter will increase as you play (This code has yet to be added).

The Options Dialog Box has also been changed also. There is no longer an option to change the number of shapes or the number of bonus pieces (Neither of these reflect the score anymore). There is a new option to change the game type which is only available when there is not a game currently in progress. Also the timer pauses when the option box is opened. Scoring has been simplified. The player's score is now just the number of lines they created.

A lot of the code has been improved. A key addition to the code is the "Anti-Clumping" system. This system prevents a large amount (greater than 5) of one shape or color from being placed on the board at the beginning of a game and when filling new lines in Action mode.

This is my development schedule leading to release:

• Update the High Score system to accomodate two seperate game modes. This will involve creating two different high score lists.
• Update the Themes system to accomodate all three of the necessary image files. Also the Themes system will need to recognize old .kst files.
• Create new documentation. The new docs will be in HTML format rather than the windows help format.
• Create new themes.
• Final Testing.
• Release Final Version.

Page Updated: 11/23/00